Homelessness has reached crisis stage in Santa Clara County and Milpitas needs to find ways to better shelter the unfortunate within city limits, according to a resolution unanimously approved by the City Council.

The Santa Clara County Housing Task Force, formed last year to identify possible solutions to the immediate housing needs of homeless families and individuals, asked Milpitas and 14 other cities in the county to adopt the resolution. The resolution, which the council approved on Feb. 2, also calls for more policy options to fund affordable housing for the homeless.

According to city reports, the county last year conducted a homeless census that found there were 6,556 people living in the county without homes, including 122 from Milpitas. Another census found a large percentage of the county’s homeless suffer from psychiatric or emotional problems, with almost one-third plagued with a physical disability and one quarter with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Destination Home, a public-private partnership, calculated the cost of providing services to the homeless, including in health care and criminal justice systems, averaged $520 million a year in the county alone, city reports state.

The county Housing Task Force concluded the solution is to provide permanent housing for the homeless.

For its part, Milpitas plans to analyze the following measures to possibly adopt at a later date:

There are two kinds of fees: residential impact fees, which are levied on new rental or for-sale housing developments, and commercial linkage fees, which are levied on new commercial or industrial development.

Meanwhile, officials say the city’s own housing authority fund has a balance of more than $7 million, which the council could allocate toward housing the homeless.

Tim Wong, the city’s housing and neighborhood services manager, said it was up to the council how impact fees would be dedicated.

Montano added the city should investigate raising the age limits of residents in senior housing sites in Milpitas — such as at Terrace Gardens at 186 Beresford Court — from 55 to 65.

“Because 55 is way too young and people stay there for a long time and it doesn’t open up opportunity for other people,” she said.

In response to a related query from Mayor Jose Esteves, City Attorney Chris Diaz said his office would look into the legality of age restrictions at senior housing and see if that option is legally viable.

Later, Esteves asked city staff what the homeless problem is really like in Milpitas.

“Are we in trouble — do we have a lot, do we have less — what’s your assessment?” Esteves asked.

Wong said Milpitas does have a homeless population and referenced the county survey that found 122 people were homeless last year.

Police Chief Steve Pangelinan, who noted his officers dealt with homeless people routinely during criminal incidents as well as to offer assistance, particularly in the winter, said 122 was “a very rough estimate.”

Still, Esteves said he wanted to better determine the “magnitude” of the problem to ensure the city’s response “will be more effective.”

Montano said she believes the homeless include working families who could not afford the “sky high rent” of the Bay Area and Silicon Valley.

“That’s why you have two or three families living in one house,” she said.

During the public comment period, resident Tom Valore said affordable housing in Silicon Valley is a misnomer.